


kiss prompts

by v0rfreude



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:00:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26186824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v0rfreude/pseuds/v0rfreude
Summary: a collection of writing prompts from twitter based onthis. they are all lapslock and seriously so unedited, but i thought it might be easier to enjoy them in this format rather than scrolling through google doc screen caps. check notes at the beginning of each for any more information you might need to know.1. vernon/minghao (9/24. in public/in danger; 1.1k)2. mingyu/minghao (22. in a rush of adrenaline; 1.5k)3. joshua/minghao (21. on a place of insecurity; 1.9k)4. mingyu/jihoon (46. out of envy or jealousy; 1.8k)5. mingyu/jeonghan (3/36. goodbye, to give up control; 2.5k)
Relationships: Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Kim Mingyu/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Kim Mingyu/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Kim Mingyu/Yoon Jeonghan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 69
Collections: twitter writing memes





	1. nfwmb

**Author's Note:**

> this first prompt has elements of organized crime, as minghao is vernon's bodyguard.
> 
> tw// blood, guns
> 
> title from the hozier song of the same name.

“vernon wake up.” minghao shoves at his shoulder, forcefully. “we have to go.  _ vernon.” _

“hnn?”

it might be cute, maybe, if the circumstances were different. as it is though, minghao hauls vernon up by the elbow, practically tugging him out of bed. he already has a backpack slung over one shoulder, free hand twitching towards the gun at his hip. 

“what’s going on?” vernon asks, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he trips towards the closet to put on clothes thanks to minghao’s guidance. 

there’s a sound from the penthouse’s living room, a crash followed by heavy footsteps. 

“ _ come on.”  _ minghao growls, throwing open the window the fire escape, shoving vernon out of it while he’s still tangled in wrestling a hoodie on. a shot rings out and there’s a warm, sharp feeling on minghao’s bicep. he assesses the damage quickly — skimmed, but not shot through, he’s dealt with worse.

minghao returns fire while he crawls out of the window, smirking and satisfied when he hears a panicked  _ fuck _ . he takes the stairs two at a time, sheparding vernon down, holding the backpack over their heads while they sprint down the rickety iron staircase. it creaks at the weight of two more bodies climbing out onto it and they take potshots, luckily only coming close once when it ricochets off the kevlar that makes up the bag.

“get in the car.” minghao commands, pointing towards the slick black car idling in the alleyway. vernon doesn’t question him this time, minghao’s been his bodyguard long enough that he doesn’t have to, not that anything  _ this _ adrenaline inducing has ever happened before. minghao tosses the bag into vernons lap as he gets into the car. “put this over your window.”

he has the car in drive, peeling out before the hitmen even hit the pavement. it doesn’t mean they’re not still being followed, an unmarked van pulls out after them. it speeds until it’s clipping at the back bumper. minghao swerves down one road, then another to try and escape it. the van falls behind but stays hot on the trail.

“your father undercut his deal with the other crime syndicate.” minghao explains, eyes sharp, focused on the road in front of him. “they’re trying to exact revenge.” his knuckles are white where they grip the steering wheel.

“hyung, your arm,” the frown is evident in vernon’s voice, “you’re bleeding.”

minghao lets out one manic sort of laugh. “they’re trying to kill you or take you hostage and you’re worried about me?” 

“you can’t rescue me if you’re dizzy from blood loss.” vernon sighs, giving a watery smile.

“not dizzy.” minghao grits out, but it  _ is  _ starting to hurt, and he can feel blood soaking the sleeve of his t-shirt. “take the wheel.”

“wait— what?”

“take the wheel, make sure we don’t crash into anything.” he puts the car into cruise as vernon grabs the wheel with one hand from the passenger seat, uncertain at first but gaining confidence with each car he maneuvers around.

in the meantime, minghao tears into his shirt, ripping the bottom two inches off. he wraps it around the wound, awkwardly tying it off with one end in his mouth and tugging at the other end roughly. “there.” he mumbles. the blood blossoms into this fabric too, but it’ll be better than having an open wound at least.

minghao takes the wheel back, accelerating through a yellow light, watching in the rear view as the van speeds through red, but gets clipped by a car coming the other way, and he makes a satisfied sort of sound followed by a heavy sigh. 

they reach the train station, dumping the car among the rows of others in the overnight lot. it quickly becomes apparent though that they’re still not alone, two men in all black begin to follow them through the terminal, then two more flank them from the other side. 

“shit.” minghao grabs vernons hand, pivoting and tugging him through a crowd of people. when they reach a turnstile, minghao lifts vernon over it, grinding his teeth against the pain in his arm, then gracefully springs over it himself.

“minghao, you’re —“

“there’s no time.” minghao huffs, looking down momentarily at where he can feel a trickle of blood running down his arm. theres shouting and the sound of running and once again, he grabs vernon’s hand and takes off. 

as luck would have it there’s a train unloading when they reach the platform and minghao threads them through the crowd of people getting off the train, uncaring about the litany of curses following. he immediately finds the bathroom stall, locking it behind them and opening the backpack to pull out two changes of clothes that make them look less conspicuous. 

he turns his back to wash his arm in the sink while vernon changes, catching a glimpse of the gentle slope of his back in the mirror, moving up over his sharp shoulder blades, and is surprised when he meets vernon’s eyes looking back at him curiously. “i’m not hurt.” he murmurs gently.

minghao nods mutely, averting his eyes and hoping that vernon can’t see the blush blooming around his collar and into his ears. he changes as well, before vernon has a chance to fuss over his arm. he shoves their dirty clothes back into the bag and lets them back into the now crowded train which rattles as it lurches forward. 

they’re forced to stand among the crowd of other passengers and minghao crowds into vernon’s space, the hood of their jackets pulled up to obscure their faces. as the crowd presses in to let someone through, minghao instinctively wraps an arm around vernon’s waist and tugs him closer. 

vernon seems to startle when he glimpses the figure working its way through the train car, his eyes frantic for a fraction of a second before minghao’s being tugged down by his neck into a kiss that melts slow and uncertain against his lips. it’s a diversion at first, a way to obscure their faces from the hitmen casing the train car, but it becomes something else entirely when the doors close again as the men leave. vernons fingers curl into the soft hairs at the nape of minghao’s neck, desperation mixed with relief when one of them deepens the kiss, minghao sucked gently at vernon’s bottom lip when he pulls back. 

he looks at vernon, eyes searching and unsure, a facial expression matched by the younger man. “it’s going to be okay.” he breathes. he’s not good at comforting, but the only thing he’s ever wanted to do is make vernon feel safe. “ _ we’re _ going to be okay.” he whispers and pulls vernon into a tight embrace.

“we’re going to be okay.” vernon affirms quietly and presses his face into minghao’s shoulder.

  
  



	2. take my chances on you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “i don’t know why i’m friends with you. i don’t know why i let you talk me into stupid shit.” mingyu huffs, running both of his hands through his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's nothing really to note about this one, there's reckless behavior and the fear of being arrested, but it passes quickly.
> 
> title from straight on by heart

“gyu. hey!” minghao tosses a small rock at the second story window. “get your ass down here.” his messenger bag rattles as he readjusts it on his shoulder. real inconspicuous. 

he’s about to toss another rock when the window opens and mingyu sticks his head out. “i can’t go. your last stunt got me grounded until graduation.” he huffs, pouting like a pathetic puppy. 

“that’s not for like… two months.”

“tell me about it.” 

minghao rolls his eyes. “when has that ever stopped you? now get on some black clothes and get down here.” 

“why do we have to go _now_ ? it’s _cold_. you could just come up and watch movies like a normal friend.” mingyu whines. it makes him look cuter than any eighteen year old boy has any right being. 

this time minghao crosses his arms and squints up at mingyu, lips set in a frown. “first of all, as if your mother would _ever_ let me step foot in your house. second of all, this is the third time that hoshi guy has tagged over my art and i’m _not_ going to just _let him_. so are you coming or not?” he asks impatiently. 

mingyu huffs and closes the window, and for a long moment minghao considers walking away. instead, he climbs up the lattice work, crossing his arms on the sill and nearly slipping when he catches mingyu with no shirt, tugging on a pair of black joggers. he’s well muscled from years of running track, with a light dusting of freckles across his tan skin. it’s not fair he should be a fucking model or something.

mingyu jumps visibly when he catches minghao in the window, throwing the window back open and shivering when the cold air hits his bare chest. “what do you think you’re doing idiot, you’re gonna fall!” he hisses, trying to tug him inside by the shoulder. “i hate it when you do this.”

“no i’m not, stop it.” minghao grins. “isn’t this how you planned to get down? you can’t just walk out the front fucking door, you’re _grounded._ ”

“i’ll just tell my parents i’m going to study with seungkwan and they’ll let me go.” mingyu sighs. “now get in here before you fall.”

“nope. finish getting dressed and get out here.” minghao laughs, watching him trudge over to his closet— the bright tones and patterns he used to wear are being slowly taken over by black, and minghao would like to think that’s part of his influence. mingyu pulls a violent femmes shirt over his head that minghao thinks actually came from his own closet.

“did you steal that shirt from me?”

mingyu looks down and shrugs, it’s tight around his shoulders. _definitely_ minghao’s. “nah i think we bought it that one time in that shop.”

“uhuh.” minghao gives a sly smile.

“what are best friends for?” mingyu laughs lightly, looking only marginally guilty.

minghao nods sagely before taking a step down. “woah,” he yelps theatrically which mingyu responds to by almost diving out the window after him. minghao laughs up at him when he catches mingyu glaring. 

“i thought you were gonna die.”

“what are friends for?” his lips curl up and he climbs down until about halfway, looking back up at Mingyu with a slowly spreading grin. 

“minghao.” mingyu says, warning. “whatever it is, don’t.”

“come catch me then.”

“minghao.”

“you had a chance.” minghao shrugs and jumps back off the lattice work, landing on his feet in the soft grass below. mingyu is gone from the window, but reappears moments later on the lawn looking very much like he expected minghao to be dead or at least seriously hurt. 

“i don’t know why i’m friends with you. i don’t know why i let you talk me into stupid shit.” mingyu huffs, running both of his hands through his hair. 

“because you _love_ me.” minghao elbows him in the side and starts walking down the sidewalk, not noticing the way mingyu gets flustered or the way he rubs his cheeks to get rid of the blush there. 

“where are we even going?” mingyu asks when he catches up.

“well, i looked him up, and it seems like his most well known piece is this tiger on the back of this old abandoned substation.” minghao explains while they weave through alleyways and back streets. 

they reach the little brick building in no time, the only problem is it’s surrounded by a high fence. “give me a boost.” minghao grins at mingyu. 

“wh—“ mingyu sputters, “are you crazy?”

“maybe.” minghao smiles and shrugs one shoulder. “high risk, high reward.” he explains, tossing his bag over the fence. “now i can climb over myself or you can speed up the process and give me a boost.”

mingyu sighs and bends down, letting minghao stand on his back where he grabs the top of the fence and is able to hoist himself over. “i’m not coming in there.” mingyu says, lacing his fingers through the chain link.

minghao grabs his fingers and winks. “good, you can keep watch.” he teases. when he walks around to the back of the building where the graffiti tiger is, mingyu follows on the other side of the fence.

“it _is_ pretty cool.” mingyu says. “i mean yours will obviously be better, but.”

minghao laughs and shakes his head. “thanks gyu.” he works in silence, with only occasional comments from mingyu as he starts by encasing the tiger in black, turning it slowly into a scowling panther with _meow_ written in big bubble letters next to it.

he’s standing back to look at his work when mingyu makes a strangled noise. “i saw lights.” he stage whispers. “get out of there.”

minghao laughs. “i gotta sign it first, do you think it’s good enough to put my name on?”

“minghao, please, let’s go.” 

“alright, alright already.” he picks up a can of red spray paint and is looping it in the shape of a sideways eight when he hears the sirens, the red and blue lights reflecting off the windows of the building.

“minghao!” mingyu yelps.

“fuck—“ minghao starts shoving cans back into his bag.

“leave them, let’s _go_.” mingyu shakes the fence, frantic. 

“are you fuckin crazy? they’ll catch me.” minghao lets out a frustrated noise when he finally fastens his bag, tossing it over the fence. “take the bag and go, mingyu.”

“but—“

“go! i’ll catch up!”

“promise?” he sticks his pinkie through the fence which minghao quickly twines his around.

“promise. _go!_ ” with that mingyu takes off running, and minghao is suddenly glad for mingyu’s long track career because he’s out of sight before minghao can even think about moving. the sirens are loud now, practically on top of him.

minghao looks around quickly before he takes a running leap at the side of the fence furthest from the road, quickly climbing it and throwing himself over it, landing on his feet and taking off from there. suddenly he’s glad for all the times he’s climbed the lattice of mingyu’s house. 

he takes off running in the direction that mingyu went, until his legs burn and he can’t hear the sound of sirens. when he’s confident he won’t be caught, he starts calling mingyu’s name softly into dark alleyways. 

“hold it right there, you’re under arrest.”

minghao nearly jumps out of his skin, turning on his heel and coming face to face with...

  
  
  


_mingyu_.

“you fuck!” minghao punches him in the shoulder, their breath still coming out in puffs of white. 

mingyu devolves into hysterical laughter. “you should have— should have seen your face—“ he cuts himself off with a laugh, doubling over against the brick way of the alley. 

“i hate you.” minghao huffs, but his lips twitch with laughter and when mingyu pulls him closer by the wrist he breaks into breathy giggles too. they laugh for a while, the adrenaline leaving them high and giddy.

minghao’s eyes flit to mingyu’s lips because they’re so pretty when he laughs, and that’s all it takes before he’s being kissed. it’s hesitant at first, until minghao takes mingyu’s face in both hands, letting himself be walked back to be pressed against the opposite wall. the kiss deepens from there, minghao hitching his leg on mingyu’s hip and tugging him closer. 

“minghao—“ mingyu breathes his name into his mouth and minghao drinks it down eagerly, taking a quick breath before pressing his mouth to mingyu’s again, their teeth nearly clacking together.

the next time they separate, there’s another bout of shared laughter as they try to catch their breath. mingyu is the first to speak, his eyes sparkling with mischief, “i think,” he starts, moving to kiss at the long column of minghao’s throat until minghao lets slip a quiet gasp. “we gotta rethink this whole _friends_ thing.”

“hmm?” minghao hums, letting his head tip back.

“yeah, you’re gonna get me killed probably.” mingyu mumbles against his skin so he feels more than hears the words.

minghao laughs breathily. “you love it.”

it takes a moment of mingyu nibbling along the slope of his shoulder before he answers. “yeah, i do.”

a satisfied smirk stretches minghao’s lips. “me too.”

mingyu lifts his head, eyes searching minghao’s before his lips spread into that killer smile of his. “wanna sneak into my room and watch movies?”

“of course.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/armpitsjun).


	3. lightlessness is nothing new

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “listen, do you want to be here for the comeback or not? you should go home and rest,” he doesn’t mean to raise his voice, he’s just worried. “it’ll only be worse if you keep going.” 
> 
> minghao looks hurt momentarily, but then his eyes darken, his fingers twitching at his sides. “why don’t you let me decide my limits?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is idolverse, revolving around minghao's back injury acting up.
> 
> title is actually from the album of the same name from maps & atlases, but the song that i had in mind is actually the fear from the same album.

it starts with a limp, little more than an interrupted gait.

joshua notices it as everyone’s filing in for breakfast one friday morning. mingyu is walking shoulder to shoulder with minghao, both of them rubbing sleep out of their eyes, it can’t be later than seven in the morning and they had been up pretty late the previous night practicing too, but while mingyu is laughing about some post that he saw on twitter, minghao is gritting his teeth— a shadow of his usual smile. 

minghao catches his eyes, his brow furrowing. joshua quirks an eyebrow upward in return. minghao just shrugs as if that counts as an actual answer and pointedly goes back to trying to have a conversation with mingyu. joshua sighs quietly, shaking his head.

“hello?”

“huh?” joshua swivels, looking back towards jeonghan who is running the kitchen this morning, albeit chaotically. 

“if you’re done giving minghao goo-goo eyes, joshua can you hand me the green onions?”

Joshua feels a heat curling up his neck and blossoming in his cheeks. “i was  _ not _ giving anyone quote, unquote, goo-goo eyes.” he shoves the bowl of chopped green onions at jeonghan, staring pointedly at the pan of rice porridge he’s supposed to be stirring. 

“who are you making goo-goo eyes at?” junhui asks between a yawn as he meanders into the kitchen.

“i’m  _ not _ .” joshua complains. of all the traits one could be saddled with while being best friends with yoon jeonghan, easily flustered is the number one that you don’t want to have.

“oh he’s just staring at myungho again.” jeonghan waves a spatula vaguely, his smile positively cherubic.

“ah.” junhui nods sagely. “bad mood today, that one. you’d be better off begging a kiss from a grizzly bear.”

“we’re not talking about this anymore.” joshua huffs, stirring the porridge with a little too much  _ enthusiasm  _ and spilling some over the side of the pan.

“ugh, junnie-yah can you take over for shua? all the love in the air has him distracted.”

“anything for you, hyung.”

for once, joshua is thankful for junhui’s gross corniness, and he makes a quick retreat from the kitchen. 

after breakfast they all head to the dance studio, and if joshua grabs minghao’s gym bag because he sees him struggling to carry it, well it’s just because he’s a good hyung and nothing else. 

he can’t help but watch minghao as they practice the dance for the next comeback, his eyes laser-focused on every misstep, every wince. one move in particular seems to give him trouble, has him gritting his teeth so much that joshua turns to soonyoung. “hey, soonyoung-ah? take five?”

soonyoung turns, tilting his head, then nodding. “yeah sure, hyung.” he beams, running his hands through his already dripping hair. “everyone take a quick break, get some water. we’re really going to work on polishing that part when we come back though.”

“myungho.” joshua’s voice comes out more serious than he means and he motions to him before he can get a chance to escape. he realizes that it attracts some attention from the others around him, but he can’t let minghao go on like this. 

minghao smiles weakly, lifting himself onto his toes and stretching his arms above his head. “what is it?”

“your back hurts again.” joshua murmurs, gently touching his arm.

“you don’t have to make a big deal out of this.” minghao tells him, frowning. “i can handle it.”

as it is, it feels like everyone is already glancing in their direction. “it  _ is _ a big deal though, if you’re hurt you need to go home and rest.”

“i  _ need _ to work through it.” he grits out, taking a step back. 

“listen, do you want to be here for the comeback or not? you should go home and rest,” he doesn’t mean to raise his voice, he’s just worried. “it’ll only be worse if you keep going.” 

minghao looks hurt momentarily, but then his eyes darken, his fingers twitching at his sides. “why don’t you let me decide my limits?” 

“if you don’t go home, i’m going to get the managers involved and they’ll make you go home.” it’s the last card joshua has, the last hope he has of getting minghao home, and safe from himself and his overworking tendencies. 

“fine!” minghao throws his hands up, and joshua makes a stark realization— he’s never seen minghao like this. he’s never been one to make a scene or stand up to one of the older members, he’s also struck very suddenly by how much minghao has grown and become his own person since he first came here and didn’t speak a word of korean besides  _ my name is _ and  _ what is this _ . a strange surge of pride bursts in joshua’s chest but is short lived by minghao shoving past him. “thanks doctor hong, really appreciate it.” he snarks as he slips by, hoisting his bag over his shoulder on the way.

(maybe he speaks korean too well now.)

“yikes.”

when joshua looks up, the younger members from seokmin down are having a very  _ important  _ seeming conversation in one corner of the room, and the rest are just openly staring now. it’s junhui who’s spoken, his lips pulled back against gritted teeth in a grimace.  _ bad mood _ . he mouths, shrugging helplessly. 

“um. alright.” seungcheol claps his hands together, “we’ll continue practice for now.” he reigns the boys back in like only he knows how, and with the help of soonyoung their focus returns to the choreo. 

the only one who can’t focus back in is joshua it seems, his movements clumsy and his counts off. nobody says anything, except soonyoung who offers small encouragements— far from his usual needling remarks when mistakes are made. 

somehow, he stumbles through two more hours of dance practice, feeling guilty and exhausted. by the time he’s trying to practically run out of the practice room, he’s made it up in his mind to apologize. 

junhui stops him at the door. “hey, you were right, you know? to send him home. you did the right thing.”

joshua shakes his head. “i’m not so sure, he’s right, i shouldn’t have made that decision for him.” 

“ah, our xiao hao, he’s too stubborn to admit when he’s hurting— he just doesn’t want to burden anyone.”

joshua nods, lips pursed in thought before he meets junhui’s eyes again. “did you know? before we came here, did you know?”

a guilty look passes over junhui’s face and he shrugs. “he mentioned it a few days ago. i told him to do what he thought was best.”

“you didn’t tell him to stay home?”

junhui frowns. “i have too much self preservation in here,” he pokes his own temple, “to go waving a red flag in front of a bull. but what you did was brave.”

joshua sighs. “i hope so.”

the members convince him not to go right back to the dorm so minghao can cool off and so they can all get lunch. their worry to let minghao cool off is unnecessary— when they arrive home several hours later, minghao simply isn’t there. joshua immediately pulls up the messenger app on his phone.

**> >please come home**

**> >we need to talk**

when there's no response, he sends one more message.

**> >i’m sorry i just care about you a lot and i don’t want you getting hurt again**

still no response. it gets later and later and no one seems worried except for himself. eventually, joshua peeks his head into soonyoung and vernon’s room. “have you guys seen myungho?”

“huh. no, why?” vernon asks, looking up from his bed where the two of them are crammed together watching a movie. 

“he hasn’t come home still—“

“you did upset him pretty badly, hyung.”

joshua rolls his eyes. “yeah that’s why i’m worried.”

soonyoung doesn’t look up from the screen, but he does offer, “he goes to the dance studio when he’s stressed out, he probably just took up residence in one of the smaller rooms when you kicked him out.”

joshua is mostly gone before soonyoung can finish his sentence, pulling in a hat and face mask for the brisk walk to the dance studio. sure enough, when he comes in and walks down the hall, he hears the strains of some indie rock band that minghao is always listening to. he lets himself into the room and sees minghao laying on the floor.

minghao lifts his head and sighs heavily when he sees joshua, letting his head fall back with a thud. “don’t worry. i’ve just been laying here for the most part.”

“i’m sorry.” joshua murmurs, coming closer slowly. 

minghao shrugs his shoulders, all the air seeming to go out of him. “it’s fine.” he looks so tired and small laying here in the middle of the mirrored room. 

joshua nibbles on his bottom lip nervously. “um so… are you doing alright?” 

minghao doesn’t meet his eyes and shrugs again. “just hurts.” he mumbles, fidgeting nervously. 

joshua hums, spotting one of the cushioned gym mats in the corner. he suddenly gets an idea, pulling one over. “take off your shirt and turn over.”

“hyung?” minghao looks at him like he’s lost his mind— maybe he has. 

“please?” joshua pulls at the hem of his own shirt nervously. “let me take care of you.”

minghao chews at his lip and nods, slipping out of his long sleeved shirt and turning onto his belly on the mat. joshua is careful to support all of his weight on his knees when he kneels down, straddling minghao’s hips. he begins working his hands down the smooth expanse of minghao’s back, massaging the sore, knotted muscles. minghao holds his breath until he slowly starts to relax and lets out a quiet sigh which turns into a soft, indiscernible sound as Joshua gets lower. 

joshua’s brain chooses that moment to temporarily shut off, his hands sliding over minghao’s sides while he leans down and presses feather light kisses between his shoulder blades. “joshua hyung?” 

“mhm?” joshua asks quietly, resting his cheek against minghao’s shoulder and just listening to him breathe. 

“don’t stop.” he mumbles, hiding his face in his arms.

a soft, breathless laugh bubbles in joshua’s chest. he continues to kiss the column of his spine gently, working his fingers in soothing circles over minghao’s sides. after a while of working silently at trying to pepper every inch of minghao’s back with kisses, joshua presses a kiss to the nape of his neck. “how are you feeling now?”

minghao mumbles something into his arms followed by a soft huff of laughter, and joshua moves to lay beside him, also laughing a little. “what’s so funny?”

joshua rolls his eyes. “you’re laughing, you tell me.” minghao peeks up, and joshua can see his cheeks stained with red, pupils wide. he looks beautiful always, but especially like this and joshua tells him so.

“I—“ minghao cuts himself off by leaning in and pressing a slow kiss to joshua’s lips, hand coming up to cradle his jaw. “thank you, hyung.”

joshua smiles, feeling like a contented cat. “me and the rest of the members, we’ll always be here for you, you know that right? so if you’re hurting, you can depend on us, no one should suffer alone.”

minghao’s bottom lip wobbles and he nods before shoving his face against joshua’s shoulder. “promise?” it’s so quiet, joshua almost misses it, his heart skipping a few beats.

“promise.” he answers certainly, and drops another soft kiss into minghao’s hair. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/armpitsjun).


	4. running from lions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “so mingyu’s girlfriend isn’t a problem.” wonwoo says, “and you’re here throwing a tantrum because his girlfriend is definitely. not a problem.”
> 
> “whose girlfriend?” soonyoung strolls in with minghao in tow.
> 
> jihoon panics, shaking his head “no—“
> 
> “mingyu.” wonwoo says, grinning.
> 
> “mingyu… girlfriend?” minghao starts laughing so hard he has to cling to soonyoung to keep himself upright. when he calms down, he wipes the tears from his eyes and stands up straight. “you know he’s gay right? like _really_ gay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jihoon has some internalized homophobia to deal with, and there are mentions of sexual situations/sex toys. 
> 
> title from the song running from lions by all time low (it was written for caleigh and that only seemed fitting)

after jihoon finds a vibrator in his roommate’s desk drawer while looking for the pen he loaned out, he goes into a deep existential crisis. the problem is not  _ actually _ the vibrator. the problem is  _ actually _ his roommate. 

kim mingyu, 6’2”, muscles coming off his muscles, thick brown hair, he’s nothing short of a model.

and here jihoon is,  _ totally _ straight, 5’5” at most, total studio goblin, in his opinion. 

he slams the drawer closed, and heads to soonyoung’s room down the hall, nearly busting the door down. soonyoung isn’t in his room, but his roommate wonwoo jumps at least a foot off of his bed. “uh, soonyoung went to the dining hall, are you… okay?” he mumbles, picking up the book he dropped when jihoon startled him. 

“no!” jihoon shouts, slamming the door again, then opening it. “sorry for scaring you, and… scaring you again.” he says when he sees that wonwoo’s dropped his book- again. 

“it’s okay.” wonwoo offers a sheepish smile. “you’re obviously having a crisis.” 

“yes— i mean, no.” jihoon nods and shakes his head simultaneously. “i’m gonna… go find soonyoung.” 

“sure, sure.” wonwoo says, waving him off. 

jihoon practically runs off to the dining hall, but stops short when he takes in the scene across the cafeteria. soonyoung is practically sitting in minghao’s lap, laughing and across from them, mingyu is laughing and clinging to park jihyo who laughs along with them. 

suddenly, it clicks. jihyo is mingyu’s  _ girlfriend _ . of course she is, she’s  _ gorgeous _ . she’s been to their room, and that means the vibrator must be  _ hers _ . 

distantly, jihoon hears his name being called, but he turns and retreats out of the dining hall with his brain buzzing. he returns back to soonyoung’s room, startling wonwoo for a third time. he sighs and sets his book down, eyes trailing jihoon when he flops face down on soonyoung’s bed. 

“wanna talk about it?” wonwoo asks, sighing lightly. 

“no.” jihoon mumbles into the pillow, curling his knees to his check and kicking his shoes off the end of the bed. 

“okay.” wonwoo says, picking his book up again and pushing his glasses up on his nose. 

not even five minutes pass before jihoon’s gnawing thoughts can’t be contained in his brain anymore. “mingyu has a girlfriend.” he grumbles into the pillow.

wonwoo lets out a long suffering sigh and sets his book down again. “what was that?”

jihoon lifts his head just barely. “mingyu has a girlfriend.” he drops his head back to the bed. 

wonwoo hums thoughtfully. “okay?”

“okay? so what do i do?”

“what do you mean,  _ what do i do _ ?” wonwoo laughs lowly, sitting up and scooting to the edge of his bed, toeing at a stack of books by his bed, all with feminist or lgbt titles and authors— which seems to spark an idea. “is this about that time he accidentally made you hard while you guys were moving in because he called you  _ silly little boy _ ?”

jihoon shoots up off of the bed, staring at him. “how did you know about that?”

wonwoo bites his lip and shrugs one shoulder, trying to contain a laugh. “please, i’m the shitty cliche, ace best friend, you think soonyoung didn’t tell me about that?” he pulls at the sleeves of his sweater and rolls his eyes. “anyway, i didn’t know you were gay.”

“i’m  _ not _ .” jihoon holds his head in his hands, staring at the floor. 

“you know it would be alright if you were.”

“thanks but i’m not.”

“so mingyu’s girlfriend isn’t a problem.” wonwoo says, “and you’re here throwing a tantrum because his girlfriend is  _ definitely _ . not a problem.”

“whose girlfriend?” soonyoung strolls in with minghao in tow.

jihoon panics, shaking his head “no—“

“mingyu.” wonwoo says, grinning. 

“mingyu… girlfriend?” minghao starts laughing so hard he has to cling to soonyoung to keep himself upright. when he calms down, he wipes the tears from his eyes and stands up straight. “you know he’s gay right? like  _ really _ gay.”

jihoon gets up from soonyoung’s bed, rolling his eyes. “that’s why he was all over jihyo today, and he has a…” he lowers his voice, “a vibrator in his desk drawer.”

three pairs of eyes hyper focus on him now, and then the three of them burst into laughter. soonyoung sets his hand on jihoon’s shoulder. “i knew you were deep in your straight denial, but  _ this. _ ” soonyoung tries his best to look sympathetic. “ _ jihoon _ .”

in theory he  _ knows _ , obviously he  _ knows  _ how gay sex works, he  _ knows _ that mingyu _ could _ be using the vibrator. the more obvious answer is that it belongs to jihyo, his gorgeous girlfriend. “i’m not in denial. i’ve had girlfriends. i’ve had sex with girls.” 

wonwoo laughs from behind him. “you know you don’t have to be gay or straight right? like there are  _ other _ sexualities.” he starts flipping through a stack of books, “i mean, i’ve had sex too, with men and women, but that doesn’t mean i’m not ace.” he laughs, straightening when he finds the book he’s looking for and holding it out for jihoon to take. 

jihoon shakes his head, but takes the book and slips back into his shoes. “thanks for all your help.” he says sarcastically. 

soonyoung frowns, trying to grab his shoulder as he slips by. “hey! text me later if you need to talk okay?” he calls after him, voice colored with concern.

right now, the only thing jihoon wants to do is sleep, or maybe cry— maybe both. he looks down at the book in his hands  _ pillow thoughts iii _ by courtney peppernell. he flips it open as he walks, the first section is titled  _ if your mind is on someone _ , and the first poem reads:

_ I keep myself distracted all throughout the day _

_ with coffee and books _

_ and things that make me drift away _

_ But always between every heartbeat _

_ no matter what it is I do _

_ I am constantly thinking of you _

jihoon shuts the book, feeling a lump forming in his throat. the lump only worsens when he walks back into his and mingyu’s room and sees mingyu sitting on his bed with jihyo while some movie plays on mingyu’s laptop. “oh hey hyung.” mingyu grins and it’s like the sun has fallen out of the sky and landed right in jihoon’s room. it’s  _ awful.  _ “i tried to call you over when you came to the dining hall, but you left.” his voice thick with a pout. 

“hey.” jihoon mumbles. “hi jihyo.” he flops face first into his bed, curling up facing away from them. “i know, i didn’t want to be a third wheel.” if it sounds like he’s pouting, it’s only because his face is squished against his pillow. he hears jihyo ask if she should leave, but he doesn’t hear a response so he speaks up, “you don’t have to leave.” 

“are you sure?” mingyu asks quietly.

“it’s fine.” regardless of his insistence, he hears movement across the room and quiet goodbyes. as soon as the door closes, jihoon feels the mattress behind him sink down.

“what’s wrong, jihoonie?” mingyu asks, still pouting. he tosses an arm across jihoon’s middle and snuffles at his hair.  _ cute _ .

“nothing is wrong.” jihoon huffs, flipping to lay on his face and willing away the heat that wants to build in his cheeks. “get off of me you overgrown puppy.” he elbows mingyu’s side but mingyu, of course stays unperturbed. it’s not unusual for their interactions to go a lot like this- mingyu is flirtatious by nature, it’s not his fault jihoon is weak for it. 

“hyunnnnnng.” mingyu whines, wriggling forward until his face is mere centimeters from jihoon’s ear, breath tickling over his skin. “are you mad at me?”

behind his eyelids jihoon’s mind conjures images of mingyu laughing while clinging to jihyo, seeing them in bed together, does mingyu also throw his gangly limbs around her when jihoon’s not around? he can’t stand the thought, something very akin to hurt stabbing in his chest. he turns his head and before he has time to think, jihoon crushes his lips against mingyu’s, fisting his hands in the fabric of mingyu’s shirt collar. 

mingyu seems startled at first, but then one hand comes to cup jihoon’s cheek, the other resting on his hip. mingyu is also the one to deepen the kiss, parting his lips and pulling jihoon closer. his lips are so soft, and warm around jihoon’s bottom lip that it makes him practically keen into the kiss, his legs wrapping around one of mingyu’s thighs. 

“jihoon.” mingyu sighs against his lips, breath shuddering and fingertips finding their way under jihoon’s shirt. 

it isn’t until mingyu’s thigh grinds up between jihoon’s thighs that he pulls back, breathless and gasping. “what are we doing?” he asks, panic rising in his throat. 

“i— sorry? we don’t have to, it’s just that… well, you kissed me hyung, and i’ve wanted to kiss you for so long that i just got a little carried away i guess.” mingyu rambles, unsure what to do with his hands now that he’s taken them off of jihoon’s body. 

“you have a girlfriend!” jihoon yelps, sitting up and motioning to the door. “she just left!”

“wh— girlfriend? i don’t have a girlfriend.” mingyu laughs, voice still rough from kiss. 

“then why is there a vibrator in your desk and why are you always hanging around her suddenly?” jihoon asks frantically, motioning almost violently.

mingyu nearly chokes, his face staining bright right. “um… well i  _ can  _ tell you that those two things are wholly unrelated.” he says, sitting up. “the movie we were watching is a documentary— it’s for a group project we’re doing.”

jihoon stares at him like he has two heads.

“that aside, jihyo is dating sana. like been dating since high school.” mingyu laughs, scratching the back of his neck.

“so the—“ jihoon shrinks in on himself, his voice deflated. “so that— it  _ is  _ yours?”

mingyu’s voice comes out small, his face getting a darker shade of red if possible. “yeah, it’s mine.” 

“oh…”

“yeah…”

the mental visual jihoon gets at that almost makes him feel dizzy, like his brain might melt out of his ears. then, his brain rewinds. “you said you’ve wanted to kiss me.”

“yes.” mingyu admits sheepishly, as if they didn’t just get done making out. 

“why didn’t you? idiot!” jihoon huffs, punching mingyu in the shoulder. 

“ow, hey, i—“ mingyu pouts. “you kept reiterating how straight you were all the time,” he motions vaguely, his eyebrows knit together. “how was i supposed to know you liked guys this whole time?”

“i don’t like guys!” jihoon huffs, then looks down and to the side. “ilikeyou.” he mumbles all at once.

even from the corner of his eye, he can see mingyu beaming. “what was that, hyung?”

“nothing.” jihoon huffs. “i didn’t say anything.”

“no i think you did.” mingyu wheedles, poking his side. “i think you said you like me.”

“nope.”

mingyu laughs, tilting jihoon’s chin towards him. “i’m going to kiss you now, okay?” jihoon nods almost imperceptibly before mingyu kisses him again, much softer this time. it’s tooth achingly sweet, and slow like honey against his lips. 

“i… like  _ you _ .” jihoon whispers when they part again.

mingyu beams with his lips still against jihoon’s. “i like you too.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/armpitsjun).


	5. to lie in these arms (last night)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they spend the majority of summer in this strange limbo, mingyu drawing new lines in the sand every time jeonghan rushes ahead of them. the time passes in the way that time in summer does, slow like molasses in the heat and gone in the blink of an eye with the rise of the moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is angst with a hopeful ending and the mildest of sexual content.
> 
> title from the song last night by iron & wine

in the summer before mingyu is set to leave for college, the miracle he’d been asking for his whole life comes a day late and a dollar short, as it were, in the form of yoon jeonghan. he appears at the front door, long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, suitcase in hand. mingyu blinks at him. “can i help you?”

“um, hi, i’m the renter?”

mingyu spirals from there. the fact that he didn’t know his parents rented out his room is startling.  _ well honey, we knew you’d be upset.  _ his mother says in way of explanation.

upset, is an understatement. mingyu has all his boxes checked for his impending move across the country. an unexpected roommate for his last summer at home before things change is not one of them.

\---

jeonghan is a writer, lived in the city his whole life. “i needed a new perspective.” he explains, while he pretends like he’s helping set up the air mattress that mingyu will sleep on. he sits cross legged on the edge of mingyu’s twin size, that he’s long out-grown but has never been able to replace. 

“seems like a lot of trouble to go through,” mingyu says, head down while he cranks the hand pump. “didn’t think city people liked country life.”

lips cherubic, jeonghan smiles. “is that why you’re headed to a city twelve hours away?”

heat crawls up the back of his neck. of course he doesn’t know anything about jeonghan, but jeonghan would have heard no doubt a lot from his parents. “schooling is important, i have to do well for my parents.” his voice comes out strained, a little breathless. 

“just so you know,” jeonghan stage whispers, his eyes soft and sympathetic. “i would never judge you for just needing to leave.” he leaves the room, patting mingyu on the shoulder as he goes. 

\--- 

after a week of sleeping in the same room, of coexisting, mingyu wakes to a dip in the air mattress and jeonghan’s hushed voice, “you move too much.” he slings an arm around mingyu’s middle, to mingyu’s abject panic. 

“jeonghan—jeonghan,” but he’s already back to sleep, where he stays in the same position through the rest of the night and into the morning and even after mingyu wakes, feverish and embarrassed to take a cold shower.

\---

“you got up early.” jeonghan says over lunch. mingyu’s mother made him drag jeonghan to meet his friends who treat him like a shiny new toy. when he’s addressed, he looks up from where he’s pushing food around on his plate. 

one of his eyebrows shoots to his hairline and he shrugs. “we live on a farm. there were things to do.”

jeonghan giggles, “ _ we? _ ”

a flush filters into mingyu’s face from his neck, even deeper than before. “well yeah, you live here now.” he mumbles, eyes flicking up to meet his. “unfortunately.” 

seungkwan slaps him on the back of the head for that. “be nice, what’s wrong with you?” 

jeonghan’s hands flutter. “please, i can handle it.” after a delicate sip of water, he smiles and leans forward. “so seungkwan,” he runs a casual hand over his arm. “what are your ambitions?”

seungkwan lights up at the chance to talk about himself and from across the table, minghao watches him where he’s been silent, his eyes fond. when he realizes both mingyu and jeonghan are looking at him, he cuts seungkwan off, “what?”

jeonghan raises an eyebrow at mingyu.  _ you got us caught _ , it says, but he shrugs.

mingyu tries to shrug too, but minghao looks at him scathingly. “do i have something between my teeth?” 

“no—i—” 

“ _ anyway, _ ” seungkwan continues his train of thought thankfully, rolling his eyes.

\---

every night after the first time, jeonghan joins him in bed late at night when the crickets sing through the open window and the breeze rolls over them like new life. jeonghan’s arm brings him closer and closer each night and mingyu lets him because he gets the best sleep he's gotten in years.

\---

jeonghan visits mingyu at work sometimes, wandering around the hardware store aimlessly. occasionally, when it’s really slow, he asks mingyu what certain things do. it’s a welcome distraction. “why do you need like six different types of hammers?” he asks, standing shoulder to shoulder with mingyu. they both reach for the same one, fingers brushing, but where mingyu pulls away, jeonghan follows through, grabbing the drywall hammer. he smiles up at mingyu, filling mingyu with the urge to brush his bangs from his forehead. “what’s this one?”

“it’s a drywall hammer.” mingyu answers without looking, his eyes caught in jeonghan’s. 

jeonghan takes a soft breath, and it feels like more than mingyu can bear. his lips tremble, and he watches jeonghan’s eyes drop to them and back up. they’re so close he could just, just,  _ just _ …

the bell above the door jingles and mingyu snaps away, swallowing hard and clearing his throat. “it’s um, it’s specialized so you can cut drywall and hammer into it without damaging it.”

“oh,” jeonghan nods, laughing quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear and already turning away from mingyu. 

\---

they spend the majority of summer in this strange limbo, mingyu drawing new lines in the sand every time jeonghan rushes ahead of them. the time passes in the way that time in summer does, slow like molasses in the heat and gone in the blink of an eye with the rise of the moon. 

they go to bonfires at seungkwan’s house back in the woods every weekend, and mingyu carefully watches the way warmth dances over jeonghan’s face, changing the angles he already knows so well. they drink cheap beer out of 24 packs, fall over each other laughing when soonyoung impersonates seungkwan and seungkwan nearly kills him.

they walk quiet, and a little drunk out to the field beside seungkwan’s house, just the two of them, where the crickets are louder and the fireflies blink restlessly. jeonghan catches one in his hand, looks at it like starlight in his palm and then up at the sky to the real thing. “it’s so beautiful out here,” he whispers like it’s a secret kept between him and mingyu and the heavens above. then, sounding heartbroken, “i don’t know how you stand it.”

it takes a little while for mingyu’s drunk brain to comprehend, but when it does he puts a gentle hand on jeonghan’s waist. “i don’t know, i guess you just get used to it.” he rubs soothing circles into the soft cotton of jeonghan’s t-shirt, the world a symphony of sound around them.

“dance with me.” jeonghan whispers, holding his arms out like he’s at a high school dance. mingyu follows his lead hesitatingly because it’s obvious he’s sad, he’s  _ sad _ and mingyu doesn’t know why, his brain refusing to connect certain wires. so he puts his other hand on jeonghan’s small waist, lets jeonghan wrap delicate hands around the back of his neck and sways with him. after a while he ends up with jeonghan’s head pillowed on his chest, a soft sigh hanging from his lips. “i don’t think i could ever get used to this.” he whispers, and mingyu feels his heart rend ventricle from ventricle in very direction. 

\--- 

after that night, tension hangs heavy between them like a rubber band stretched to the edge of breaking. mingyu moves around jeonghan instead of with him, like magnets reversed, opposite poles. because he can’t. not that he doesn’t want to but that he  _ can’t _ do this to himself. since he was fifteen he’d been planning,  _ dreaming _ . the school, the major, the job, saving, saving, saving for a house, a car, a family. there are notebooks full of it, drawn up explicitly, not necessarily because mingyu likes numbers but because he’s  _ good _ at them, and because he wants to grow up well and make his family proud.

mingyu comes home from work to find jeonghan in his bed reading one such notebook, hair falling in a shiny black curtain over his shoulders. he looks up, startled when mingyu comes in. “uh, i—”

mingyu laughs and walks into his closet, shrugging. “it’s nothing important anyways.” he tugs off his shirt with his back to jeonghan so he can’t see his expression when he asks,

“you don’t think it’s important that you’ve had an escape plan since age nine?”

“what does it matter?” mingyu asks softly, “i just want to be prepared for everything.”

“you can’t prepare for everything, kim mingyu.” jeonghan clucks, and mingyu can hear him padding across the floor. his arms wrap around mingyu’s middle from behind, and mingyu could swear he feels the faintest ghost of lips between his shoulder blades. he lets out a frustrated sigh that fans across mingyu’s skin, and asks like it’s a puzzle he’s been tossing around in his head for entirely too long, “what are you running from?” 

mingyu freezes in his arms, deer meets headlights, he doesn’t know.  _ he doesn’t know. _

\---

the night before mingyu is slated to leave for college, jeonghan insists on borrowing the truck, saying he wants to treat mingyu on his last day as a country boy. he also, anxiously, allows himself to be blindfolded, knows that jeonghan drives a while in different directions to throw him off the trail before they stop and mingyu is ushered out of the truck. when he pulls his blindfold off, they’re at seungkwan’s house again, but everyone he knows - which is to say, everyone in town - is there, and they all shout  _ surprise _ in unison. and mingyu’s heart feels like it just might burst like shrapnel. 

“oh,” he says, tiny. then he’s crying and he doesn’t know why he’s crying because tomorrow all of his dreams will come true and his plan will start and everything will fall into place. but he lets out a sob, and is suddenly surrounded by arms, jeonghan’s, seungkwan, minghao, soonyoung, and even his parents are all there, cooing a litany of  _ ah, our minggu _ ’s. 

mingyu is the focus of the party of course, people sharing embarrassing stories about him that make his ears go red. and of course jeonghan is there, looking like he’s absorbing every word, laughing along as if he were there the whole time. mingyu’s heart aches and aches even as jeonghan tells a story of his own, when he was helping mingyu take care of chickens and that he’s so clumsy he accidentally sat on the basket with all the eggs in it. 

there’s cake and ice cream and a bonfire that lasts long into the night, the older folks dipping out the darker it gets. then, it’s so dark and the sky overhead flashes, then cracks, releasing rain all at once. shouting and laughter fills the air as those that are left run for their cars or for cover. jeonghan is cackling when he and mingyu make it back to the truck, water dripping off of them and onto the worn seats. mingyu laughs too, overwhelmed with the need for it, his heart jackhammering with adrenaline and affection. 

jeonghan starts the truck before mingyu can stop him. “wait—” 

“i haven’t been drinking,” jeonghan smiles, tight around the edges, something wrong. 

“oh,” mingyu nods, “me either. i—i wanted to remember this… it was,” he sighs, “good.”

“i’m glad.” jeonghan’s voice comes out like it’s hard for him to say. he backs down the long gravel drive, but instead of going east back towards mingyu’s house, he goes west towards open road and sky.

“um, the house is the other way,” mingyu says, small, his hands fists in his lap.

“i know.” jeonghan doesn’t offer more explanation, just keeps driving. they drive what feels like forever, just the noise of rain on the truck to fill the space. the longer they go, the more the tension builds like a growing house fire between them. jeonghan pulls off into an empty field, with what feels like miles of nothing around them and not even stars to keep witness above them when jeonghan cuts the lights and rounds on him, eyes as open and wanting as mingyu’s ever seen them. “seungkwan says you can’t do anything that isn’t on your plan—”

“oh of course he did, that little—wait when did you talk to—”

“prove him wrong.” his voice breaks and jeonghan leans in, hands on mingyu’s face and presses their lips together, soft and warm, and  _ soft and warm _ . it feels simultaneous like winning and surrendering at the same time. he gives himself to it, lets himself be pulled closer.

the next kiss is more forceful, jeonghan pulls back to breathe and mingyu pulls him right back in with a hand through his still wet hair. jeonghan parts his lips, lets mingyu’s tongue in to explore the back of his teeth, the roof of his mouth, everything there is to discover there. mingyu pushes jeonghan back so his back is against the door, mingyu’s body covering his in the tightness of the truck cab. jeonghan gasps into it, his hands flying to mingyu’s waist, to pull his shirt up and slide around to the exposed skin of his lower back, searing the memory of his fingertips there. mingyu sighs jeonghan’s name into the kiss before the taste of salt taints it and mingyu pulls back in time to see jeonghan, who never cries as far as he knows, swipe at tears. and mingyu, who cries at everything, cries too. because this is not a new beginning for them. it is a supernova, over before it even begins, tearing atom from atom as the ache sets in. 

the sky cracks harder, sending sheets of rain over the truck. when their crying quiets, and the rain is just a drone, mingyu is stuck looking at jeonghan in the soft blue glow of the radio, tears or raindrops - he’s not sure which - clinging to his eyelashes. mingyu kisses him again because he’s not sure what else to do, it’s the only thing he  _ can _ do. and they kiss and kiss and kiss until mingyu’s mouth feels bruised and he’s half hard in his pants where he’s been subconsciously rubbing against jeonghan’s hip. 

it’s finally jeonghan who pulls back, chest heaving and frowns up at the sky. “we might have to sleep here, it doesn’t look like it’s letting up.” 

mingyu nods, eyes heavy not just from sleep. he settles against jeonghan like a weight blanket, kissing him lazily. jeonghan hums against his lips, eyes drooping when he looks down at mingyu. “i won’t ask you to stay, that would be incredibly selfish of me, and…” he runs a hand through mingyu’s hair and presses a slow, tender kiss to his lips. “i know the plan was to  _ never come back _ , but would you? for me?” jeonghan’s voice dies out, barely making any sound at the end.

without hesitation, mingyu nods, takes jeonghan’s hands like he’s just offered him his heart, raw and beating out of his chest. “yes. yes, of course.” because the truth is, some of the grandest schemes are unplanned, and some of the best things are worth coming back for.

mingyu presses another kiss to jeonghan’s lips, unbidden and promise sealing. not a true goodbye, but a  _ see you soon _ .

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/armpitsjun).

**Author's Note:**

> as always you can find me [here](https://twitter.com/armpitsjun).


End file.
